OPINION: Learning to read is a human right

When I came to Juneau when I was first elected to the State Senate, my first goal was to ensure every child in Alaska gained access to high-quality, culturally responsive, locally driven early learning, also known as universal, voluntary pre-kindergarten.

Over the years, my understanding of early learning has expanded. I’ve learned that high-quality pre-kindergarten has the power to improve high school graduation rates, increase lifetime earnings, and improve health outcomes. I’ve learned that students enter school more prepared and ready to learn in the communities where our State has supported pre-kindergarten through annual grants. And, I’ve learned that right now, less than 11% of our children have access to this culturally responsive, locally designed, high-quality pre-K.

In the Legislature, we often talk about “the next generation,” but when it comes time to put our money where our mouths are, we continue to fall short. Many of us in Juneau have fought for our youngest students, advocating behind the scenes and out publicly for increased funding, teacher retention strategies, and better retirement benefits. We continue that effort today. We are at the table seeking solutions.

The Senate Education Committee has had the privilege of hearing from hundreds of education stakeholders. Like any good legislative process, we listened, heard feedback and critiques, and crafted a better pre-K policy embodied now in SB 111. The House Education Committee has done the same with HB 164. It’s because of folks who’ve stepped up to join those who are passionate about education that in 2019, we added a critical piece to the pre-K legislation — a focus on kindergarten-3rd grade evidence-based reading interventions.

Data and reports from places like Colorado, Mississippi and Oklahoma reinforce that, to maintain the gains earned from a high-quality pre-Kindergarten program, early screening of our youngest students for dyslexia and other reading problems makes all the difference. Identifying where a student might be struggling before reading patterns are established means less remedial work later and significant reductions in special education. The National Reading Panel highlights that a struggling reader will never catch up without early interventions, increasing the risk for future issues and struggles that will most certainly impact that student forever.

Because of irrefutable data like this, we amended the pre-K legislation to support early learning educators in developing the knowledge and skills to identify struggling readers. Classroom screeners aren’t burdensome or onerous, and any teacher will tell you they use these critical tools every day.

Yet, no legislation is ever perfect. Since 2019, legislative committees have made hundreds of changes to these reading and pre-K bills. Every critique from teachers and administrators from across the State, dyslexia education advocates, and early learning professionals has been addressed. We’ve held dozens of round tables, participated in over 25 Senate and House Education Committee hearings, and kept in close contact with the Department of Education and Early Development to ensure everything proposed is feasible, honors local decision making, and will have a meaningful impact.

The Alaska Reads Act is groundbreaking in its approach. Not only does it affirm a student’s right to learn to read, but it declares in no uncertain terms that reading interventions must be individualized and culturally responsive. We’ve added inclusive definitions of parent/guardian, directed our state’s education department to work with districts to ensure their screening tools work in whatever language their students are learning in, and included funding to strengthen our education system in direct answer to the landmark Moore court decision.

Allegations or aspersions that The Alaska Reads Act is anything less than inclusive, culturally responsive, and affirming of every child’s right to learn are ill-informed and misplaced. The legislative record clearly shows that many of us are working hard to ensure the state fulfills its responsibility to provide for future generations through a well-crafted education policy. This transformative policy will uplift local control and guarantee that the state meets its obligations to prepare our teachers. Let’s be at the table to make the change we so desperately need. Let’s make this policy better for our next generation of Alaskans instead of trying to roadblock it. We can only improve education if we do something. But, if we do nothing, we all lose — especially our children.

Tom Begich, D-Anchorage, is the Minority Leader in the Alaska Senate and represents Airport Heights, downtown, Fairview, Government Hill, Mountain View, Russian Jack and South Addition.

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